MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 28 (UPI) -- Aryna Sabalenka summoned her overwhelming serve early on and held off a rabid Coco Gauff rally, quelling thousands of fans supporting her rival, for a victory Saturday in the Miami Open finale.
With the 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 triumph, Sabalenka not only defended her title, but also became just the fifth woman in history to complete a Sunshine Double -- with consecutive victories at Indian Wells and Miami.
"You're a fighter," Sabalenka said to Gauff at the trophy presentation. "You also pushed me so hard to be a better player."
Sabalenka, who cashed in for $1.15 million and pushed her career title total to two dozen, improved to 7-6 against Gauff. The top-ranked Belarusian is 23-1 with three titles in 2026, and she became first woman to complete a Sunshine Double since Iga Swiatek of Poland in 2022.
Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka are the only other women to accomplish the feat.
